A French uber driver called Mamadou is the secret hero behind Asfoora’s Group 1 heroics after a missing passport nearly cost Australia’s sprint star her place in racing history.
Trainer Henry Dwyer’s mare became the first Australian-trained horse ever to win in France, storming home in the Group 1 Prix de l’Abbaye at Longchamp on Sunday. She is now a Group 1 winner in England and France.
But the stunning victory almost never happened, after a paperwork mix-up left Asfoora stranded without her race passport just an hour before the start.
Instead of panic, came a plan and a Parisian Uber driver named Mamadou became the unsung hero of Arc Day.
Asfoora’s passport had accidentally been left behind at Amy Murphy’s Chantilly stables, swapped for the papers of another horse Dwyer had bought at the Arqana Sale the previous evening. With time slipping away, Murphy’s assistant put the correct document in an Uber, and Mamadou made the 52-kilometre dash across Paris in record time.
“We were within a minute and a half of not running,” Dwyer said.
“I had the Uber driver on a retainer of £200 to get it here in time. I’ve driven that trip four times this week and it’s never taken me under an hour – he did it in 52 minutes. He was a superstar.”
The passport arrived just before the deadline, allowing Asfoora to start – and the rest is racing folklore.
Under jockey Oisin Murphy, Asfoora showed blistering speed to win by half a length, adding the Abbaye to her Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes victory and becoming the first horse in 32 years to complete the rare sprint double.
“She’s the real deal,” Murphy said.
“It can be easy to get carried away, but she’s just so consistent. She travelled beautifully and quickened when I asked — I never had to get serious with her. She’s a star.”
Prix De L’abbaye De Longchamp | Asfoora
What a star she is! Asfoora wins her 3rd European Group 1 🇫🇷 @HDwyerRacing
📺 Ch. 78/68, Foxtel 529, Kayo or via our app pic.twitter.com/8urVqeqWlg
— Racing.com (@Racing) October 5, 2025
Dwyer was left shaking his head in disbelief, not just at the performance but the adventure that led to it.
“It’s surreal,” he said.
“To be standing here on Arc day, having won a Group 1 in France, with an Australian-trained horse – it’s unbelievable. I’m not a big trainer, but I love doing things differently. And to think, we were a minute from disaster.”
The trainer later shared a screenshot of the Uber trip on X (formerly Twitter) and confirmed Mamadou had received a generous tip as well as an open invitation to the post-race party.
“He’s more than welcome if we can track him down,” Dwyer said with a grin.
Asfoora’s triumph made her not only a trailblazer for Australian racing abroad but also one of the great stories of the 2025 European season – a blend of chaos, courage, and pure class.
“The dumb Australians forgot to pack the passport… we had an Uber driver do a mad dash from Chantilly.”
You wouldn’t believe it… 🤯@HDwyerRacing pic.twitter.com/hqgZFEiSTR
— Racing.com (@Racing) October 5, 2025
